Structure for snow skis and the like, of pressed metal plate, preferably of steel



United States Patent 3 360 277 STRUCTURE FOR SN OW SKIS AND THE LIKE, OFPRESSEI) METAL PLATE, PREFERABLY OF STEEL Mario Salvo, Via Pirelli 30,Milan, Italy Filed Apr. 9, 1965, Ser. No. 446,837 Claims priority,appgigatit/nggtaly, Apr. 28, 1964,

5 Claims. (Cl. 280-11.13)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention relates to snow skisand particularly a structure of snow skis obtained by means of metalplates, preferably thin sheet steel, suitably pressed and weldedtogether.

The advantages but also the inconveniences are known of the conventionalskis made of different grades of wood, as well as the attempts that havebeen made to produce skis of light metal alloys or of plastic materials,usually having a solid cross-section; but also these attempts did notbring satisfactory results, the skis themselves being too expensive, ortooheavy, or not quite capable of withstanding all the stresses to whicha ski is subjected during its use.

The object of the present invention is the provision of a ski formedfrom relatively few elements of thin metal sheet, preferably steelsheet, suitably pressed and welded at their edges or other joiningzones, such structures resulting, because of their configuration, inresilient, light weight skis that withstand, better than any other typeknown heretofore, all the stresses to which a ski may be subjected inuse, and in particular also the torsion stresses that are encounteredfor instance during descents or ascensions in a direction transverse tothe slope when the ski is canted relative to the ground.

More precisely, according to the present invention, the ski presents astructure constituted by a bottom element of thin pressed sheet steel,so as to form the ski sole and the longitudinal edges thereof are suchas to replace the usual laminae for reinforcing the ski corners. Saidstructure includes a second element, pressed so as to form, afterwelding on the first element, a hollow structure, preferably providedwith reinforcing ribs and on the top surface whereof there will beapplied the ski footbinding, while a longitudinal reinforcing element,also made of pressed sheet metal, is placed inside, between the twoabove mentioned elements, and extends over the entire length of the ski,or over a portion of the same.

The advantages offered by the structure of the present invention aremanifold, and chief among them are the following: possibility ofadoption of very thin sheet gauges so as to be able to use sheet steelwithout exceeding the usual weight limits; the abolition of the usualoverlaid laminae to protect the lower edges; the possibility ofobtaining skis of different lengths with a same set of dies requiringonly the variation of the combination of the elements constituting same,to obtain the desired different lengths; and the resistance that such atype of ski structure presents to all stresses to which such instrumentsare subjected during their use.

To such advantages are to be added those of a limited cost and anindefinite life.

The ski structure according to the invention may be adapted, withsuitable changes, also for water skis and the like.

The accompanying drawing illustrates schematically, and only as anexample, an embodiment of a ski according to the present invention, andnamely:

FIG. 1 is a cross-section of a ski structure according to the invention,through the central part of the ski itself;

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view, at a much reduced scale relative to thepreceding figure, of a complete ski according to the present invention.

As is clearly apparent from FIG. 1, the main parts of the structure ofthe present invention are two, namely the top element 1, shaped as achannel, and adapted to constitute the top and the sides of a ski, andthe lower element or sole 2, that constitutes the bottom thereof,resting on the ground. The elements 1 and 2 terminate at theirlongitudinal edges in flanges protruding outwardly, shown in the drawingat 3 and 3' respectively, and adapted to overlap and be welded together,preferably with a continuous perfectly tight seam, obtained for instanceby means of electric resistance welding rollers. The bottom element 2between the longitudinal flanges'3' is slightly recessed so as to form aseat for the application of a strip of plastic material 4, or of anothersuitable material, constituting the surface sliding on the snow. Saidstrip 4 may be secured in the recess of element 2. in various Ways,preferably through glueing. It is thus evident how with this type of skisole application the longitudinal laminae for the protection of the skiedges are eliminated because this function is performed directly, asalready mentioned, by the outer borders 3 of the sheet steel element 2.

The element 1 is provided with longitudinal ribs, two of which are shownin FIG. 1, by the reference numeral 5, ribs that are obtained bypressing, and therefore practically at no extra cost, and which at thesame time impart a greater strength to the structure. At 6 there isshown a shaped element, also of metal sheet, that in the illustrativeexample has the shape of a U with the ends of its arms bent overhorizontally towards the outside, said horizontal flanges being Weldedto the underside of the flat central zone of element 1. Such a shapedelement 6 shall preferably have such a size that its lower portion willabut against the upper side of the sole 2 without the need of beingsecured thereon.

The structure just described, of the present invention, affords severaladvantages. In fact, elements 1 and 2 constitute, after theirassemblage, a girder which, during its use is subjected to a bendingstress that places the upper fibers under compression, and the lowerones under tension. The stresses that may be reached under specificconditions are very high inasmuch as there is a remarkable longitudinalflexibility of the structure.

In particular it is known how, for relatively thin portions of astructure, in the presence of remarkable compression stresses, thereoccurs the risk of the structure becoming bent or collapsed. The ribs 5and the reinforcement 6 prevent this.

From the foregoing it is clearly apparent how one may adopt even verythin thicknesses to constitute the element 1, and how such apossibility, besides advantages per se evident, involves also that ofallowing the use of sheet steel, which heretofore has been precluded forsuch type of design, because of the unacceptable weight that would haveresulted for the ski itself.

Sheet steel, as is known, is a material that costs less than otheralloys, that heretofore have been tentatively tried for use in suchconstructions, and at the same time is easily workable, in ready supply,and does not require the corner reinforcements that, even on woodenskis, are made 3 of steel. Moreover, the hardness and abrasionresistance of steel, as well as its flexibility, are well known.

FIG. 2 represents, as already stated, a schematic plan view of a skiaccording to the present invention. In the drawing, line XX indicatesthe trace of the vertical plan passing through the narrowest section ofthe ski. It is known in fact how, with the exception of some typesdesigned for particular performances, the skis are narrower in the zonewhere the skiers shoe is fixed, and how such a width becomesincreasingly wider towards the fore portion or point of the ski, and, toa smaller extent, also tow-ards the rear portion or tail of the skiitself.

It is also known how the thickness, that is the dimension shown as s inFIG. 1, is also variable along the ski. In particular its thickness isgreater in said zone, where the shoe is fixed, and diminishes bothtowards the ski point and towards its tail. In a ski according to thepresent invention, the greater thickness section is expressly made tocoincide with the minimum width section; also, the variation of thewidth as well as of the thickness is symmetrical for a certain ,distancein both directions from plane XX. in FIG. 2, there will be arranged oneafter the other, as

In FIG. 2 such zones, of symmetrical variation of the ski structurewidth and thickness, are respectively limited by the lines YY and ZZ,which are shown equidistant from the line XX. With this expedient, theconstruction of skis according to the present invention may be carriedout for all the pre-established lengths of ski, practically with thesame dies, which allows a remarkable saving in manufacturing costs, andthus an additional advantage. In fact, if it is desired to obtain ashorter ski, for instance of the length resulting from the sum of thetwo zones 7 and 8 in FIG. 2, these will be arranged one after the other,as sections Y- Y and ZZ, that are equal, are made to coincide. And theseshort skis will be easily obtained using the same dies only byeliminating the intermediate die portion, corresponding to the lengthYY, ZZ.

When instead it is desired to obtain skis of the maximum length, that isthat shown in FIG. 2, the ski elements will be pressed with diesincluding also the portion between the lines YY and ZZ.

Skis of intermediate length will be obtained obviously by abolishing theshorter sections, such as for instance the one in FIG. 2 comprisedbetween lines 9 and 10, each placed at the same distance d from thecenter line XX.

The advantages, at the production level, of such geometrical structureare evident when one considers the that the most rational manufacturingprocess for each of the three elements 1, 2 and 6 is that of pressing,or more generally, of shaping. Therefore, by means of two main dies,respectively for parts 7 and 8, as well as with a set of dies, one foreach of the intermediate section lengths, it will be possible to obtainthe assortment of skis of the desired lengths, simply by arranging saiddies one after the other.

Of course, the preceding description and the figures in the drawing havean exemplifying value, concerning the constructive details. However, theparticular shape of each of the elements constituting the ski structureaccording to the invention, or the inner reinforcements, and in generalall the constructive details, such as the construction materials, may bevaried according to needs without thereby departing from the scope ofthe present invention.

What I claim is:

1. A ski comprising two basic elements pressed from thin strong metaland spaced apart over most of their width, and a single reinforcingmember pressed from sheet metal, both said basic elements having at bothlongitudinal edges thereof two flat horizontal marginal flanges that aredisposed one on top of the other and welded together by continuous weldsso as to constitute continuous and sharp side edges of the ski, saidreinforcing member being U-shaped and being narrower than said basicelements and being disposed between said two basic elements and beingwelded to only one of said basic elements.

2. A ski as claimed in claim 1, having a longitudinal midportion ofsustantial length and of constant crosssectional configuration over itslength.

3. A ski comprising upper and lower sheet metal members which togetherhave a box-shaped cross-sectional configuration, each said member havingoutwardly extending flanges at its marginal edges with the flangesdisposed at the lower corners of the box-shaped cross section of the skiand Welded together, and a U-shaped reinforcing member disposed insidethe box between said members and being secured by welding to one only ofsaid members and touching but being unsecured to the other of saidmembers.

4. A ski as claimed in claim 3, said U-shaped member having outwardlyextending flanges that are welded to the underside of the upper of saidmembers.

5. A ski as claimed in claim 3, the lower of said members being pressedinto a sinuous cross-sectional configuration such that it has adownwardly opening recess between its marginal flanges, said recessextending most of the width of the ski, and a strip of plastic securedin said recess and having its lower surface substantially flush with thelower surfaces of said flanges.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,552,990 9/1925 Hunt 28011.l32,434,851 1/1948 Hoerle 280l1.13 2,560,693 7/1951 Hickman 2801 1. 133,145,998 8/1964 Holmberg et al. 28011.13

FOREIGN PATENTS 152,918 6/1932 Switzerland.

LEO FRIAGLIA, Primary Examiner. MILTON L. SMITH, Examiner.

1. A SKI COMPRISING TWO BASIC ELEMENTS PRESSED FROM THIN STRONG METALAND SPACED APART OVER MOST OF THEIR WIDTH, AND A SINGLE REINFORCINGMEMBER PRESSED FROM SHEET METAL, BOTH SAID BASIC ELEMENTS HAVING AT BOTHLONGITUDINAL EDGES THEREOF TWO FLAT HORIZONTAL MARGINAL FLANGES THAT AREDISPOSED ONE ON TOP OF THE OTHER AND WELDED TOGETHER BY CONTINUOUS WELDSSO AS TO CONSTITUTE CONTINUOUS AND SHARP SIDE EDGES OF THE SKI, SAIDREINFORCING MEMBER BEING U-SHAPED AND BEING NARROWER THAN SAID BASICELEMENTS AND BEING DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID TWO BASIC ELEMENTS AND BEINGWELDED TO ONLY ONE OF SAID BASIC ELEMENTS.